This ministry was launched in July 2007. Each day you can find a bible study and life application devotional as I walk through life and the scriptures with you. I also spend a lot of time praying for people and offering guidance and encouragement. You can think of me as a virtual pastor of sorts, preaching, teaching, praying and edifying every day. I hope to hear from you and pray this ministry will bless you in a special way. In Christ, Mark

Monday, November 19, 2012

GOD RULES THE WORLD

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

God presides in the great assembly; He renders judgment among the “gods”:

“How long will You defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.

Psalm 82

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Look around our world today at the nations. How many of them can you identify as having corrupt leaders? Perhaps it would be easier to try and count the nations who don’t have corrupt leaders. We may even come to find out we can’t find a leader of any nation that hasn’t been seduced into corruption of some sort while in office.

This truth can be a discouragement as we consider the world we live in. We can be left dismayed, disappointed, and wondering whether there will ever be any leader we can trust, one we can have faith in, one who can always be counted on to do the right thing every time. Maybe we end up feeling hopeless in the midst of it all, losing confidence that we’ll ever find what we long for.

Indeed, the psalmist today shares how God feels like we do, acknowledging leaders who are falling short of His expectations as leaders. Look at the words of the Lord in the 82nd Psalm as He renders judgment on the rulers of the world:

“How long will You defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’ But you will die like mere mortals; you will fall like every other ruler.”

The classic corrupt leader will always defend those who are doing wrong and sinning against God, showing partiality to the wicked at the expense of others. In this case, the rulers’ support of the wicked created hardship and difficulty for the weak, the fatherless, the poor, the weak, the needy, and the oppressed. And although these leaders were acknowledged as “sons of the Most High”, they would experience demise and fall as rulers as a result of their wickedness.

The Scriptures are truth and the truth within this word of God would tell us to not worry about these wicked and corrupt leaders because their day is coming. We need to hold onto the assurance that God is in control and the Supreme Ruler of the world. Every nation is His. All of them. And each one is subject to His judgment. None are immune or exempt.

Friends, we might find ourselves discouraged after seeing how evil and corrupt our nation is. Like the psalmist, we just might cry out, “Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.”

I think I can hear just what God would say to us. It might go something like this:

“Lift up your heads. I, the Lord your God, am in control and will judge all nations of the world to include yours. Pray unto Me and share your concerns. Lay your burdens at My feet and watch Me shake the foundations of any ruler who thinks they are standing on solid ground. I will show them the consequences of being disobedient and refusing to follow My will.”

Whether in Old Testament days or today, God is in command of the world He created. Stay encouraged in that truth, no matter how wicked this world might turn.